Mario Barrera is professor emeritus of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Beyond Aztlan, which is also published by the University of Notre Dame Press, and co-producer of the documentary film Chicano Park.

"Thoroughly researched, well-written and persuasively argued, this book is a must for those who would fully understand the complex position of the Chicano in U.S. society." —Choice"Barrera has attempted the important task of developing a theory of racial inequality relevant beyond its particular application to the Chicano experience. Any serious student of race relations and stratification in the U.S. will have to contend with his analysis." —Contemporary Sociology" . . . an important contribution to the field. Barrera has successfully harnessed historical analysis, social criticism, and an aggressive empiricism to an analysis of a major moral, political, and public policy issue." —Journal of Economic History"Barrera's study is a pioneering venture into a theoretical exploration of the Chicano experience. It is a book to be reckoned with by all students of ethnicity in the United States." —New Mexico Historical Review"This is a tightly organized, well-written work that provides a theoretical backdrop to Southwestern economic history." —Library Journal"Barrera has provided us with a work that is carefully documented, well researched, and thoroughly challenging. Reading this book is an experience no serious student in the field can afford to miss." —Sociology: Reviews of New Books

• 1. Introduction2. The Nineteenth Century, Part I: Conquest and Dispossession3. The Nineteenth Century, Part II: The Establishment of a Colonial Labor System4. From the Turn of the Century to the Great Depression5. The Contemporary Period6. The Role of the State7. A Theory of Racial InequalityAppendix: The Case of International Harvester